Why Is It Important to Know Currency Symbols? Essential Knowledge for Traders
When trading Forex or making international payments, you’ll notice a problem: over 50 currencies are in circulation worldwide, each with its own symbol. Writing out “100 US dollars” every time is cumbersome and prone to errors. That’s when currency symbols come in handy—they serve as quick visual mnemonics for identifying different currencies.
Simply put, symbols like $, €, ¥, ₩ are like “ID cards” for currencies, letting you instantly recognize which money you’re dealing with. For those frequently involved in Forex trading, mastering these symbols and how to input them is fundamental. For example, seeing EUR/USD tells you the exchange rate trend between euros and dollars; seeing NT$ indicates a transaction involving Taiwan dollars.
Major Global Currency Symbols Lookup Table
The following table covers the most common 50+ currencies in the Forex market and their symbols:
Continent
Country
Currency
Code
Symbol
Americas
USA
US Dollar
USD
$
Americas
Canada
Canadian Dollar
CAD
$
Americas
Brazil
Brazilian Real
BRL
R$
Asia
China
Renminbi
CNY
¥/元
Asia
Taiwan
New Taiwan Dollar
TWD
NT$
Asia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Dollar
HKD
$/HK$
Asia
Japan
Yen
JPY
¥
Asia
Singapore
Singapore Dollar
SGD
$
Asia
South Korea
Won
KRW
₩
Asia
India
Rupee
INR
₹
Asia
Indonesia
Indonesian Rupiah
IDR
Rp
Asia
Malaysia
Ringgit
MYR
RM
Asia
Philippines
Peso
PHP
₱
Asia
Thailand
Baht
THB
฿
Asia
Vietnam
Dong
VND
₫
Oceania
Australia
Australian Dollar
AUD
$
Oceania
New Zealand
New Zealand Dollar
NZD
$
Europe
UK
Pound Sterling
GBP
£
Europe
Eurozone
Euro
EUR
€
Europe
Russia
Ruble
RUB
₽
Europe
Ukraine
Hryvnia
UAH
₴
Europe
Turkey
Lira
TRY
₺
Middle East & Africa
UAE
Dirham
AED
د.إ
Middle East & Africa
Israel
Shekel
ILS
₪
Middle East & Africa
Nigeria
Naira
NGN
₦
Middle East & Africa
Kenya
Shilling
KES
Ksh
Middle East & Africa
South Africa
Rand
ZAR
R
Shortcut Keys for Common Symbols—Tips for Mac and Windows
Knowing what the symbols look like isn’t enough; you also need to know how to quickly type them on your keyboard. Especially when recording trades or writing reports, a shortcut can save you a lot of time.
Windows Shortcut Keys
Currency
Code
Symbol
Input Method
US Dollar
USD
$
Shift+4
Euro
EUR
€
Alt+E
Pound Sterling
GBP
£
Alt+L
Yen
JPY
¥
( requires IME input method
) Mac Shortcut Keys
Currency
Code
Symbol
Input Method
US Dollar
USD
$
Shift+4
Euro
EUR
€
Shift+Option+2
Pound Sterling
GBP
£
Option+3
Yen
JPY
¥
Option+Y
Tip: If you frequently input NT$ or other Asian currency symbols, it’s recommended to save these shortcuts in your system settings for quick access, so you don’t have to look them up every time.
Commonly Confused Currency Symbols—Avoid Mistakes
The Identity of the ¥ Symbol
The “¥” symbol is used by multiple countries in Asia, but it represents different currencies. In Japan, it is Yen (JPY); in China, it is Renminbi (CNY); in Taiwan, New Taiwan Dollar also uses ¥. To avoid confusion, the standard notation should be:
CNY¥100 for 100 Renminbi
JPY¥100 for 100 Yen
TWD¥100 for 100 Taiwan Dollars
In fact, the standard way to write Taiwan Dollars is NT$, which completely avoids confusion with Renminbi or Yen.
The $ Symbol Used in Over 30 Countries Globally
The dollar sign “$” is used worldwide, but don’t assume that “$” always means USD. In fact, over 30 countries’ currencies use “$” as their symbol, including:
US$ — US Dollar
NT$ — New Taiwan Dollar
C$ — Canadian Dollar
R$ — Brazilian Real
HK$ — Hong Kong Dollar
S$ — Singapore Dollar
A$ — Australian Dollar
NZ$ — New Zealand Dollar
Therefore, adding the country code prefix is necessary in international transactions.
The Dual Identity of ฿ Symbol
Interestingly, the “฿” symbol traditionally represents the Thai Baht (THB) in Forex markets, but in the crypto world, it stands for Bitcoin. If you’re involved in both Forex and crypto trading, be sure to interpret it based on context.
Meaning of Currency Pairs in Forex—Fundamental but Important
The core of Forex trading is currency pairs, which indicate the exchange rate between two different currencies. For example:
EUR/USD — Euro to US Dollar, tells you how many USD one Euro is worth
GBP/JPY — British Pound to Japanese Yen, tells you how many JPY one GBP is worth
In a currency pair, the first currency is called the base currency (the one you’re buying), and the second is the quote currency (the one used for pricing).
Example: USD/GBP = 1.35
This means 1 US dollar equals 1.35 British pounds. If you trade this pair, you’re betting on whether the US dollar will appreciate or depreciate.
Summary: Master Symbols, Play the Forex Game
Whether you’re a professional Forex trader or a beginner, mastering major global currency symbols, understanding the standard notation for NT$, and learning how to quickly input these symbols can improve your efficiency and prevent misunderstandings. Remember: currency symbols are not just symbols—they are the “universal language” of global trading.
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How to type currency symbols of different countries? The complete guide to quick input of TWD, USD, EUR
Why Is It Important to Know Currency Symbols? Essential Knowledge for Traders
When trading Forex or making international payments, you’ll notice a problem: over 50 currencies are in circulation worldwide, each with its own symbol. Writing out “100 US dollars” every time is cumbersome and prone to errors. That’s when currency symbols come in handy—they serve as quick visual mnemonics for identifying different currencies.
Simply put, symbols like $, €, ¥, ₩ are like “ID cards” for currencies, letting you instantly recognize which money you’re dealing with. For those frequently involved in Forex trading, mastering these symbols and how to input them is fundamental. For example, seeing EUR/USD tells you the exchange rate trend between euros and dollars; seeing NT$ indicates a transaction involving Taiwan dollars.
Major Global Currency Symbols Lookup Table
The following table covers the most common 50+ currencies in the Forex market and their symbols:
Shortcut Keys for Common Symbols—Tips for Mac and Windows
Knowing what the symbols look like isn’t enough; you also need to know how to quickly type them on your keyboard. Especially when recording trades or writing reports, a shortcut can save you a lot of time.
Windows Shortcut Keys
) Mac Shortcut Keys
Tip: If you frequently input NT$ or other Asian currency symbols, it’s recommended to save these shortcuts in your system settings for quick access, so you don’t have to look them up every time.
Commonly Confused Currency Symbols—Avoid Mistakes
The Identity of the ¥ Symbol
The “¥” symbol is used by multiple countries in Asia, but it represents different currencies. In Japan, it is Yen (JPY); in China, it is Renminbi (CNY); in Taiwan, New Taiwan Dollar also uses ¥. To avoid confusion, the standard notation should be:
In fact, the standard way to write Taiwan Dollars is NT$, which completely avoids confusion with Renminbi or Yen.
The $ Symbol Used in Over 30 Countries Globally
The dollar sign “$” is used worldwide, but don’t assume that “$” always means USD. In fact, over 30 countries’ currencies use “$” as their symbol, including:
Therefore, adding the country code prefix is necessary in international transactions.
The Dual Identity of ฿ Symbol
Interestingly, the “฿” symbol traditionally represents the Thai Baht (THB) in Forex markets, but in the crypto world, it stands for Bitcoin. If you’re involved in both Forex and crypto trading, be sure to interpret it based on context.
Meaning of Currency Pairs in Forex—Fundamental but Important
The core of Forex trading is currency pairs, which indicate the exchange rate between two different currencies. For example:
In a currency pair, the first currency is called the base currency (the one you’re buying), and the second is the quote currency (the one used for pricing).
Example: USD/GBP = 1.35
This means 1 US dollar equals 1.35 British pounds. If you trade this pair, you’re betting on whether the US dollar will appreciate or depreciate.
Summary: Master Symbols, Play the Forex Game
Whether you’re a professional Forex trader or a beginner, mastering major global currency symbols, understanding the standard notation for NT$, and learning how to quickly input these symbols can improve your efficiency and prevent misunderstandings. Remember: currency symbols are not just symbols—they are the “universal language” of global trading.